The initial hopes and optimism of the last few days to end almost four decades of violence in Colombia took a setback yesterday when one of the principal protagonists in the first round of talks, Mr Manuel Marulanda Vilez, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, (FARC), failed to show up at the negotiation table.
Although his presence was not confirmed, minutes before the historic meeting, government and rebel sources were sure that he would arrive on time for the 10 a.m. appointment amidst security provided by more than 2,500 heavily armed guerrillas.
In a statement released to the press during the day, Mr Marulanda, more commonly known as Tirofijo, or Sureshot, said he did not attend for security reasons.
This mythical figure has been in hiding in the mountains and jungles of Colombia for over 40 years, carefully planning and masterminding the actions of the oldest rebel group in the world.
Many of the observers at today's meeting did not seem too disappointed however. Mr Daniel Ortega, ex-president of Nicaragua, summed up the thoughts of most of the national and international guests present when he said that at least talks had begun and an agenda set for further negotiations in the next few weeks. He stressed it was important not to lose faith - the path to peace is a long and difficult one.
President Andris Pastrana arrived earlier in the morning accompanied by the four government negotiators and minimum security, bringing with him the 60 bodyguards who accompany him everywhere. The installation of the negotiation table and the formal opening of the talks started 45 minutes later than scheduled as both parties waited for Mr Marulanda.
One of the FARC negotiators read Mr Marulanda's 15-minute speech which was basically a critical summary of state-inflicted violence during the past 35 years. The Colombian President followed by saying he had kept his election promise and started the negotiation process, adding: "The fact that Manuel Marulanda is not here today does not mean that these talks will not go ahead, we have a long road to travel and this is only the beginning."
The security was tight for today's meeting, all details were arranged by the FARC rebels and the government. The town where the meeting took place is in a withdrawal zone negotiated between both parties. The zone, roughly the size of Belgium, is entirely in the control of the guerrillas.
Government and FARC representatives set a new round of talks for Saturday, January 9th.